Afterward we were brought to the house and left in Dr. Foreman's office to wait for her. Neither of us had said one word to the other.
“Are you all right, Teal?” I asked her.
She lifted her head slowly and turned her droopy eyes toward me. “My throat aches.”
“You were screaming so much.”
“I dreamed I heard a drum all night.”
“There was a drum and chanting. Natani must have been there. It helped me.”
“Yes.” She turned her head slowly to look forward again, her eyelids barely open.
Dr. Foreman entered with two glasses of orange juice in her hands.
“Here you two are,” she said as if she had really been looking everywhere for us. “Drink some juice first.”
We both took a glass and drank.
“Slowly, girls, slowly. You don't want to give yourselves bellyaches.”
She sat in her chair and watched us for a moment, that same happy smile on her face. She was the crazy one, I decided, but I dared not say it.
“Now where were we? Oh, yes, you were both about to apologize for your misbehavior last night, I believe.”
“It's not fair,” I was about to say. I was going to describe just how the plate had come to be broken, but Teal lifted her head quickly.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “I'm really sorry. I won't do anything like that again. I swear.”
“Oh, that's so good to hear, Teal, dear. You don't know how words like that please me. They fill my heart with so much joy and make every ounce of effort I spend on you girls worthwhile whenever I hear a sincere apology.”
She turned to me expectantly.
I glanced at Teal and nodded. “Yes. I'm sorry, too. It was wrong and we won't let it happen again.”
“That is just wonderful. Something terrible did die last night. We buried it together. We have so much more to bury before we're through, but I know we're going to succeed. Now, Teal, what do you think we should bury next?”
Teal looked up, terrified.
Dr. Foreman laughed. “Oh, I don't mean in the coffin. Hopefully, neither of you will sleep there again.” Teal's face immediately softened with relief. “But we have other ways to bury bad things. I'm hoping now that the two of you, the three of you, all of you, in fact, will be doing it yourselves. So, let's get back to where we left off the first time we all met here. What is one thing you did that you know contributed to your being brought here? Teal? Why don't you be first.”
Teal tilted her head, her eyes full of defeat. “I vandalized the girl's bathroom in my public school. I broke the mirrors and clogged up the toilets and turned on all the faucets to flood the place. My father had to pay for the damages.”
“And how do you feel about that now?”
“I wish I hadn't done it,” she said readily.
“Why?”
“It upset my parents.”
“Is that the only reason?” Dr. Foreman pursued.
Teal looked at me frantically. I could see it in her eyes: What was the right answer? What was the answer Dr. Foreman wanted, the answer that would free her, get her out of the limelight and danger?
“No,” Teal said. “It was wrong. It made it impossible for anyone to use the bathroom for a while and it was a juvenile thing to do.”
“Yes, that's true. Why did you do it?”
“I was angry.”
“At whom, Teal? At whom were you angry?” Dr. Foreman leaned toward her with excitement in her face. “Well?”
“I don't know. Everyone, I guess.”
“No, not everyone. Someone. Who, Teal? Whom were you trying to hurt the most? Tell me.”
“My father,” Teal cried back at her, the tears streaming from her eyes. “My father!” she shouted.
Dr. Foreman smiled and sat back. “That's good, Teal. That's a wonderful start. I know you're hungry and you need something in your stomach before you go to your chores, so I'm excusing you now. Go to the dining room and have some breakfast and then report to Natani in the field. Go on.”
Teal looked at me and lowered her eyes with someshame before leaving the office. I watched her and then turned back to Dr. Foreman.
She had her fingers pressed together at the tips and sat there staring at me.
“We're gong to become good friends, you and I,” she said. “You're going to help me with the others, and someday, I believe, you will serve a tour of duty as a buddy here.” She smiled. “I know you will,” she said with cold confidence, so cold it put a chill in my heart and washed ice water over my resistance. I tried to swallow, but couldn't. Her eyes were burning into me. “I am good at predicting that sort of thing, Phoebe. You'll see.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked, barely holding on to my dwindling pride.
“I want your loyalty, Phoebe. I want your complete and utter loyalty.” She leaned forward. I thought she was going to reach out to touch my hand, but she didn't. She just continued to stare a moment, then said, “And I'm sure you will give it to me eventually. The faster you realize that, the better it will be for everyone.”
She sat back again. My heart wasn't racing now. It was more like it had actually stopped. I couldn't feel my pulse. My blood seemed to have frozen in place.
“Now tell me,” she said, “which one of you, all of you, has spoken about running away?”
I raised my eyebrows.
She smiled. “I know it wasn't you, Phoebe. I know my girls. You're too realistic to contemplate such a thing. You're street savvy. You know what it means to survive out there. There are all sorts of jungles and deserts in the world. You don't have to come here to know
